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A new definition of obesity could help treat millions of people Tue, 14 Jan 2025 23:30:40 +0000 Obesity is typically assessed by measuring someone's body mass index, but now researchers are calling for a more nuanced approach that could help with treatment

AI could assemble a record-breaking quantum computer out of cold atoms Tue, 14 Jan 2025 20:13:22 +0000 A huge number of ultracold atoms have been corralled into a grid that could form the basis of the next largest quantum computer

Has a volcanic eruption ever wiped out a species of hominins? Mon, 13 Jan 2025 21:46:02 +0000 Volcanoes have been proposed as the reason for the extinction of the Neanderthals and the hobbits of Indonesia, but the end of those species may not have come from a single, dramatic event

US has imported billions of wild animals in the past 20 years Tue, 14 Jan 2025 21:07:13 +0000 From 2000 to 2022, the US legally imported almost 30,000 different species of plants and animals, from songbirds to reptiles

Can a new class of wearable tech actively boost your mental health? Tue, 14 Jan 2025 16:00:00 +0000 A range of brainwave-reading devices and other gadgets aim to monitor our nervous systems and intervene to improve our well-being. Do they work?

SpaceX is launching Blue Ghost and Resilience landers to the moon Tue, 14 Jan 2025 14:28:16 +0000 Two companies, Firefly Aerospace and ispace, are aiming to make the second and third successful private landings on the moon - and both are launching on the same Falcon 9 rocket

Giant isopod named after Darth Vader is a delicacy in Vietnam Tue, 14 Jan 2025 14:00:19 +0000 A marine crustacean that looks like Darth Vader’s helmet has been recognised as a new species, but it could be under threat from trawling due to its popularity in Vietnamese restaurants

Meta allowed pornographic ads that break its content moderation rules Mon, 13 Jan 2025 22:01:54 +0000 Last year, Meta allowed thousands of paid ads containing sexually explicit imagery on social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram

Intricate ancient tattoos revealed by shining lasers on mummies Mon, 13 Jan 2025 20:00:39 +0000 The tattoos of 1200-year-old mummies from Peru can now be seen in exquisite detail, showing fine markings that may have been made with cactus needles or animal bones

Mars may have a solid inner core like Earth does Mon, 13 Jan 2025 19:00:43 +0000 A new analysis of marsquakes measured by NASA’s InSight lander indicates Mars has a solid inner core – but other researchers say the evidence is thin

Melting ice reveals millennia-old forest buried in the Rocky mountains Mon, 13 Jan 2025 13:07:25 +0000 Trees dating back almost 6000 years have come to scientists' attention due to ice melting in the Rocky mountains, offering a "time capsule" into the past

The space physicist on a mission to discover why Mercury has shrunk Mon, 13 Jan 2025 16:00:00 +0000 Suzie Imber is a co-investigator for the BepiColombo mission, currently on its way to Mercury. She explains how it will cast new light on the planet's many oddities, from its massive core to its epic solar storms

A supermassive black hole is sending out a mysterious pulsing beat Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:40:39 +0000 Regular pulses of X-ray radiation emanating from a supermassive black hole could be explained by a white dwarf star on the verge of falling in

Comet that could shine as bright as Venus set to be visible from Earth Fri, 10 Jan 2025 15:56:52 +0000 Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) should be visible from the southern hemisphere, and possibly also the northern hemisphere, over the next few days

Laser technique measures vast distances with nanometre precision Mon, 13 Jan 2025 12:00:58 +0000 A new technique involving lasers can measure long distances more precisely than ever, which could be useful for space telescopes

How a quantum innovation may quash the idea of the multiverse Mon, 06 Jan 2025 16:00:00 +0000 The many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics invokes alternative realities to keep everything in balance. Has solving a century-old paradox now undermined their existence?

Can you use banana peels to fertilise your plants? Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Social media is rife with claims that banana skins can have a transformative effect on our houseplants. James Wong unpeels the science behind the trend

We thought we knew emperor penguins – robots are proving us wrong Wed, 08 Jan 2025 16:00:00 +0000 For decades, we studied only a tiny number of Antarctica's emperor penguins. Now robots and satellites are revealing surprising secrets about how they live

Oracles, Omens and Answers is a revealing gaze at prediction's past Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 A fascinating exhibition at Oxford’s Bodleian Library explores archaic ways of telling the future. It is tiny, but explores big questions about how we learned to think rationally

The neuroscientist using music to help treat Alzheimer's and more Tue, 07 Jan 2025 16:00:00 +0000 We have long suspected that music has restorative qualities, but Daniel Levitin is now providing rigorous evidence that it can help treat many conditions, including depression, speech loss and Alzheimer's

Tomato plants are covered in tiny anti-pest booby traps Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:00:50 +0000 A more detailed understanding of the natural anti-insect protections of tomato plants can lead to better pest-management strategies

Gene-edited cells that evade rejection show promise in type 1 diabetes Fri, 10 Jan 2025 13:40:47 +0000 Insulin-producing cells injected into a man with type 1 diabetes have survived for a month so far without the need for immune suppression

Glyphosate-resistant weeds have evolved in the UK for the first time Fri, 10 Jan 2025 13:17:21 +0000 The herbicide glyphosate is helping farmers adopt more environmentally friendly practices, and resistant weeds will make this transition more difficult, experts say

World’s first fully 3D-printed microscope made in under 3 hours Fri, 10 Jan 2025 12:00:27 +0000 The microscope cost less than £50 to build using an open-source design and a common 3D printer

Physicists discover the secret to perfect cacio e pepe pasta Fri, 10 Jan 2025 09:00:38 +0000 The classic Italian cacio e pepe pasta is notoriously tricky to get right, but physicists have come up with a trick to achieve a perfectly smooth cheese sauce

Incredible images tell the tale of the world’s most prized marble Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 In Land of Marble, photographer Alessandro Gandolfi explores the past and future of Italy's striking marble quarries

Nerve-racking tale of reviving wild cocoa to make amazing chocolate Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Could cultivating wild cocoa help us produce great chocolate ethically? A stirring account reveals the problems of trying to transform an industry

2024 confirmed as first year to breach 1.5°C warming limit Fri, 10 Jan 2025 03:00:39 +0000 Scientists warn efforts to limit the long-term temperature rise to 1.5°C will fail as data confirms 2024 was the hottest year in human history

Oil extraction may have triggered over 100 earthquakes in the UK Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:01:34 +0000 Earthquakes that occurred near an oil extraction site in Surrey, UK, in 2018 and 2019 had been put down to coincidence, but a new analysis with an updated look at the geology of the area suggests the seismic events may indeed have been linked to drilling

How worried should we be about a bird flu pandemic? Thu, 09 Jan 2025 22:22:47 +0000 The first known death from a bird flu virus in the US has sparked fears about another pandemic, yet the overall risk to the general public still remains low

La Niña is finally here but it won't stay for long Thu, 09 Jan 2025 20:45:37 +0000 After months of delay, the cool La Niña climate pattern has emerged in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which increases the risk of drought in parts of the Americas

Your ears and nose are made from tissue that looks like bubble wrap Thu, 09 Jan 2025 19:00:28 +0000 It turns out that the cartilage inside your ears and nose is different from that found elsewhere in the body, with a fatty structure that makes it look like bubble wrap, and this long-overlooked tissue could prove useful in certain surgeries

Quantum computers get automatic error correction for the first time Thu, 09 Jan 2025 10:00:41 +0000 A tiny quantum “refrigerator” can ensure that a quantum computer’s calculations start off error-free – without requiring oversight or even new hardware

Why sabre-toothed animals evolved again and again Thu, 09 Jan 2025 16:00:46 +0000 Sabre teeth can be ideal for puncturing the flesh of prey, which may explain why they evolved in different groups of mammals at least five times

Keeping space tidy should become a global UN goal, say researchers Thu, 09 Jan 2025 16:00:17 +0000 The United Nations has 17 sustainable development goals that all member states have signed up to in an effort to balance economics and the environment - and now researchers say we need a new one to ensure we keep space junk under control

Maths quirk explains why crosswords are so hard – until they aren't Thu, 09 Jan 2025 14:00:32 +0000 The process of solving a crossword puzzle is mathematically similar to well-studied physical systems – but one property makes the game unique

Ancient humans understood the future and the past pretty much as we do Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Sticks found in a cave that date back 12,000 years and other archaeological evidence show how humans have long viewed the future in a similar way to us, says Annalee Newitz

Parents stop finding diapers disgusting once babies are eating solids Thu, 09 Jan 2025 13:00:14 +0000 The extent to which parents feel disgust appears to come and go, which could be important for their children's health

BepiColombo snaps Mercury's dark craters and volcanic plains Thu, 09 Jan 2025 12:56:09 +0000 The BepiColombo spacecraft is due to start orbiting Mercury next year, but a recent flyby has captured breathtaking images of its pockmarked surface

A first nomination for the 2025 Reverse Nominative Determinism award Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Feedback has found a contender for the 2025 Reverse Nominative Determinism gong: the scientific journal Intelligence

Children are being overlooked in conversations about AI Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 We need to stop ignoring young people's firsthand experience with artificial intelligence. They are already at the sharp end of its development, says Mhairi Aitken

Memoir offers new insights into the life of naturalist Gerald Durrell Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 In the centenary of naturalist Gerald Durrell’s birth, a new memoir adds rich new layers to what we know about the man

California wildfires fuelled by months of unusual extreme weather Wed, 08 Jan 2025 19:31:04 +0000 Fast-moving wildfires are burning long after the regular fire season is over due to an unlikely sequence of extreme weather events that may have been exacerbated by climate change

SpaceX: Starship to launch fake satellites on seventh test flight Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:00:46 +0000 SpaceX’s most ambitious Starship flight yet will see reused hardware, the deployment of 10 fake satellites and another attempt to catch the booster with “chopsticks”

A healthy dose of AI can improve medical care and save lives Wed, 08 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Done right, with real-world evidence to back up the claims and persuade doctors to adopt it, artificial intelligence has the power to enhance clinical outcomes

Physicists discover that 'impossible' particles could actually be real Wed, 08 Jan 2025 16:00:35 +0000 Every fundamental particle in the universe fits into one of two groups called fermions and bosons, but now it seems there could be other particles out there that break this simple classification and were once thought to be impossible

Will genome editing transform our children's health? Some have doubts Wed, 08 Jan 2025 16:00:46 +0000 A team of scientists claims that the risk of common conditions like heart disease could be slashed by editing people's genomes at the embryo stage - but other biologists strongly disagree

Punk and Emo fossils rock our ideas of how ancient molluscs looked Wed, 08 Jan 2025 16:00:14 +0000 Two species of marine molluscs dating back about 430 million years have been named Punk and Emo for their outlandish spiky appearance

Sleeping pills disrupt how the brain clears waste Wed, 08 Jan 2025 16:00:08 +0000 A common sleep medication prevents mice from effectively clearing away waste and toxins from their brain during sleep

New Glenn launch: Blue Origin's reusable rocket set for maiden flight Wed, 08 Jan 2025 10:58:56 +0000 Jeff Bezos’s space company is about to launch New Glenn, a reusable rocket intended to rival SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, for the first time

Vaccine misinformation can easily poison AI – but there's a fix Wed, 08 Jan 2025 10:00:48 +0000 Adding just a little medical misinformation to an AI model’s training data increases the chances that chatbots will spew harmful false content about vaccines and other topics

When is the best time to exercise to get the most from your workout? Mon, 22 Jul 2024 19:00:14 +0100 There may be ways to work with your body’s natural daily and monthly cycles to get the maximum benefits from workouts and avoid injury

How a typo spoiled my proof of Fermat’s last theorem Tue, 07 Jan 2025 15:03:42 +0000 The tale of Fermat's last theorem took hundreds of years and included tantalising twists, disappointing errors and a contribution from the most unlikely cartoon mathematician imaginable

How to tell if your immune system is weak or strong Tue, 31 Jan 2023 17:00:00 +0000 New blood tests can reveal whether your immune system is fighting fit by looking at the balance of different immune cells, but there may be a simpler way of gauging your immune health

What is hMPV, the virus spreading through China? Tue, 07 Jan 2025 16:51:28 +0000 An uptick of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) cases in China has raised concerns over another pandemic, which appear to be unfounded

Are tech firms giving up on policing their platforms? Tue, 07 Jan 2025 16:06:51 +0000 Social media companies have long struggled with moderating the behaviour of billions of users, and now it seems they are finally giving up policing their platforms in favour of a crowdsourced approach – but will it work?

How the covid-19 pandemic distorted our experience of time Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Many of us experienced time differently in the pandemic. Learning why can help us, say Ruth Ogden and Patricia Kingori

Batteries made from industrial waste could store renewable energy Tue, 07 Jan 2025 13:00:38 +0000 Industrial waste can make rudimentary batteries. That's likely no good in electric cars etc, but could be ideal for stashing away vast surpluses of renewable power.

Genetically modified toxic semen could suppress troublesome insects Tue, 07 Jan 2025 10:00:21 +0000 Male flies have been genetically engineered to produce poisonous proteins in their seminal fluid, a technique that could be employed against pests and disease carriers

AI helps radiologists spot breast cancer in real-world tests Tue, 07 Jan 2025 10:00:21 +0000 Whether AI can assist in cancer detection has been subject to much debate, but now a real-world test with almost 200 radiologists shows that the technology can improve success rates

US reports first human death related to bird flu Mon, 06 Jan 2025 22:08:14 +0000 A person in Louisiana who became severely ill with a bird flu virus known as H5N1 in December has passed away from the infection, marking the first known bird flu death in the US

Covid-19 led to a new era of vaccines that could transform medicine Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:40 +0000 mRNA vaccines have been a long time coming, but were only approved after covid-19 emerged, marking the beginning of a new way of preventing – and treating – various conditions

Wastewater treatment plants funnel PFAS into drinking water Mon, 06 Jan 2025 20:00:37 +0000 Wastewater treatment plants in the US may discharge enough “forever chemicals” to raise concentrations in drinking water above the safe limit for millions of people

Lead pollution across the Roman Empire would have caused IQ deficits Mon, 06 Jan 2025 20:00:18 +0000 Lead records from Arctic glaciers indicate that people all over Europe would have been affected by pollution from metal smelting during the Roman era

AI uses throat vibrations to work out what someone is trying to say Mon, 06 Jan 2025 18:00:34 +0000 Throat vibrations made by people who find it difficult to speak, such as after a stroke, can be analysed by AI and used to create sentences

The problems with Dry January – and what you could try doing instead Mon, 06 Jan 2025 17:00:06 +0000 Many people decide to give up alcohol during January. But is this actually helpful in the long-term and are there better, easier ways to change our drinking habits, asks Ian Hamilton

Pluto may have captured its moon Charon with a brief kiss Mon, 06 Jan 2025 16:00:36 +0000 Simulations suggest Pluto and its largest moon may have gently stuck together for a few hours before Charon settled into a stable orbit around the dwarf planet

Secrets of velvet ant's venom explain what makes its sting so painful Mon, 06 Jan 2025 16:00:22 +0000 A velvet ant sting is like “hot oil spilling over your hand” – now, scientists have identified molecules in its venom that let it deliver excruciating pain to a variety of other animals

The big unanswered questions about the covid-19 coronavirus Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Despite studying the SARS-CoV-2 virus for five years, scientists still have questions, from the extent to which it can survive and mutate in animals to the thorny argument over its origins

5 graphs that show how the world suddenly changed when covid-19 hit Mon, 06 Jan 2025 13:00:33 +0000 From carbon emissions to the share price of videoconferencing firm Zoom, these graphs tell the story of how the covid-19 pandemic changed everything

The best new science fiction books of January 2025 Mon, 06 Jan 2025 12:30:31 +0000 From Cory Doctorow to Nnedi Okorafor and from fancy space opera to elegantly written visions of a flooded future world, there is plenty of great science fiction published this month

Permafrost thaw beneath Arctic lakes poses surprise pollution threat Mon, 06 Jan 2025 12:00:25 +0000 Deep sediments under Arctic lakes could release large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane, adding to the threat of runaway climate change

Electric fields could mine rare earth metals with less harm Mon, 06 Jan 2025 10:00:57 +0000 Smartphones, electric vehicles and wind turbines rely on environmentally destructive rare earth mining operations. Harnessing electric fields could make this mining more sustainable

The most iconic images taken during the covid-19 pandemic Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:01 +0000 Many emotive and inspiring photographs were taken when covid-19 turned our lives upside down – here are some of the best pictures from the past five years

The remarkable science-backed ways to get fit as fast as possible Mon, 22 Jul 2024 17:00:14 +0100 A better understanding of what happens to our bodies when we get fitter can unlock ways to speed up the journey – and it might be simpler than you think

Climate change may have killed ancient 'hobbit' hominins Fri, 03 Jan 2025 15:00:56 +0000 Homo floresiensis, a metre-tall ancient hominin, lived on the South Pacific island of Flores and hunted dwarf elephants until about 50,000 years ago – and now it seems climate change played a role in the downfall of both species

This mathematical trick lets you work out the weekday of any date Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 A little help from Lewis Carroll will enable you to impress friends and family by calculating which day of the week any date is, says Peter Rowlett

Can we use quantum computers to test a radical consciousness theory? Mon, 30 Dec 2024 16:00:00 +0000 Hartmut Neven, who leads Google's Quantum AI lab, wants to entangle our brains with quantum processors to test the idea that consciousness involves quantum phenomena

The best science fiction movies to look forward to in 2025 Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 From M3gan 2 to 28 Years Later, this year is all about inventive sequels, series and remakes – plus some dazzling adaptations like Mikey 17, says Simon Ings

How DNA in dirt is reshaping our understanding of Stone Age humans Tue, 31 Dec 2024 16:00:00 +0000 The surprise discovery that ancient human DNA can survive in sediments and soil is revolutionising the study of Paleolithic minds, behaviours and lifestyles

Why becoming the right kind of optimist can transform your health Wed, 01 Jan 2025 16:00:00 +0000 Some kinds of optimism get us into trouble, but others help us prosper. Luckily, a few tricks can help you become the right kind of positive thinker and reap the rewards

The key events during the covid-19 pandemic Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:45 +0000 Many dates stick in our minds as we reflect on five years of living with covid-19 - here are some of the most memorable ones

Global treaty is failing to curb ultra-potent greenhouse gas emissions Fri, 03 Jan 2025 16:00:55 +0000 Countries have pledged to phase out HFC-23, a powerful greenhouse gas, but atmospheric data shows that emissions are five times higher than governments are reporting

US teens are using less of every substance – except for one Fri, 03 Jan 2025 13:00:05 +0000 Teenagers in the US roughly doubled their use of nicotine pouches in 2024, despite turning away from alcohol and other drugs

Five years on, have we learned the lessons of covid-19? Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Science initially struggled to match the pace of the pandemic, leaving people unclear of the best ways to stay safe from the virus, but now we know so much more – which could be essential when the next pandemic hits

Glowing biological quantum sensor could track how cells form Fri, 03 Jan 2025 09:00:59 +0000 A quantum sensor based on a protein from bioluminescent jellyfish can be made by the body itself and it may be able to help us track how cells form or detect disease at an early stage

The best sci-fi TV shows of all time, according to New Scientist Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:58 +0000 We asked our writers to pick their favourite science fiction television series. Here are the results, from Battlestar Galactica to Futurama

Crystal-based cooling could make fridges more sustainable Thu, 02 Jan 2025 19:00:32 +0000 A new type of crystal that absorbs heat when released from extreme pressure could lead to climate-friendly refrigerators and air conditioners

Delicate robot hands know just how hard to squeeze Thu, 02 Jan 2025 18:00:56 +0000 A robotic hand uses fingertip sensors and AI to determine how firmly to grip before closing in on an object, overcoming a persistent problem for prosthetics

Visualising a virus: How our covers captured an unfolding crisis Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 In the first two years of the covid-19 pandemic, numerous New Scientist covers were dedicated to the global emergency caused by the virus. Together, they tell a story of resilience and scientific achievement

There's a new way to make everyday products without using fossil fuels Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Everyday household products are made almost entirely from newly extracted fossilised carbon. But 'defossilisation' is an exciting alternative, finds Graham Lawton

AI chatbots fail to diagnose patients by talking with them Thu, 02 Jan 2025 10:00:04 +0000 Although popular AI models score highly on medical exams, their accuracy drops significantly when making a diagnosis based on a conversation with a simulated patient

Everything we know about long covid - including how to reduce the risk Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:30 +0000 Some people have been living with long covid for five years, but we are still just starting to learn about its exact causes and how best to treat the condition

Direct CO2 capture from the atmosphere will scale up massively in 2025 Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:00 +0000 A US facility will pull up to 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air per year after it opens in 2025 and sell carbon offset credits to large companies

The best science fiction TV shows to look forward in 2025 Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 From Doctor Who and Severance to Apple Cider Vinegar, there are plenty of great sci-fi and science-inflected TV shows coming up this year, says Bethan Ackerley

Will there be another pandemic after covid-19 and are we prepared? Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:41 +0000 Covid-19 is responsible for the deaths of millions of people around the world, but researchers fear the next global outbreak could be even worse, making it vital that we start preparing for that unknown pathogen now

We must revisit the covid-19 pandemic to prepare for future outbreaks Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:00:00 +0000 It is tempting to lock memories of the height of covid-19 away but looking back is vital for preparing properly for the next pandemic

Could 2025 be the year we finally start to understand dark energy? Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:00 +0000 A map of 31 million galaxies created by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument will be released next year, and could shed light on the origins of this mysterious force

People ate lots of foxes and wildcats 10,000 years ago Wed, 01 Jan 2025 13:00:30 +0000 Foxes and cats weren’t just caught for their pelts, hint cut marks and burns on bones found at a site in Israel

Flying electric taxis look set to finally take off in 2025 Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:00:03 +0000 Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are on track to start commercial passenger carrying services in 2025, but can they stand out from conventional helicopters?